(The following information is taken from Your First Year in Network Marketing by Mark and Rene Yarnell. I am providing you highlights in the next several blogs in hopes that you will be equipped to survive and thrive in your hardest year of your network marketing business – the first one. Here are the highlights from Chapter 1.)
The Rejection Rocket can strike us at any time leaving us immobile and ready to quit. It sucks out all of our enthusiasm and excitement; both of which are essential for our success.
Rejection is the primary cause for failure in MLM, and frequently people fail before they ever begin because they are not properly prepared by their sponsors to handle rejection.
Rejection from Spouses
When new associates first ‘get’ the MLM business, they are excited by its potential. They make their list of their top ten prospects and want to share their ‘good news’ as soon as possible. They have projected their enthusiasm onto everyone on their list, including their spouses. So, rather than wait to be properly trained, off they go, and sure enough their spouses are the first ones to launch the rejection rocket. Their spouses think that they have gone off the deep end, and all their new found excitement evaporates.
It is the responsibility of every sponsor to fully prepare prospects for rejection, and then equip them with the tools and skills to handle the rejection. It is helpful for sponsors to present the full business presentation to spouses on behalf of their new associates. At the same time, the sponsor needs to emphasize that new associates NOT try to explain the business to their spouses, but rather, to get them to a meeting or wait until they are fully versed in the presentation.
Rejection from Family and Friends
Freshly trained associates are excited and eager to overcome any argument their prospects might throw at them. It is easy for them to slip into the ‘Winning the Battle’ mode and as a result lose all opportunity to at that moment or at a later date to present the business. It is important for new associates to develop listening skills in order to hear where a person is at in their lives. With a little practice, new associates can learn to discern who is open to the change that MLM brings. If the timing is clearly not right for their friends, they are better off waiting to revisit them in six months.
Another common reaction from prospects is called the ‘positively negative.’ As soon as an associate mentions that their business model is MLM, the prospect expresses in no uncertain terms that they are positive that they want nothing to do with ‘pyramid scams.’ The prospect’s severe rejection of MLM is so profound that the new associate loses all courage to reapproach this prospect even after they are seeing financial success.
Rejection can come in the form of the ‘Good Ol’ Boy’ reaction. Many friends and family are too polite can caring to respond with an outright “no,” so they agree to come to a business meeting. However, they really have no intention of attending. They are ‘no shows’ and leave the new associate devastated and feeling deceived. This can be the hardest form of rejection to overcome. Knowing this is a possibility ahead of time can soften the blow.
If not properly prepared for rejection, new associates can sink into the morass of despair. They can think, “Why in the world am I doing this? Nothing is worth this kind of humiliation. Since nobody seems to want to do this, maybe they know something I don’t. If I quit now, I’ll never have to go through this again.”
The Right Attitude toward Rejection
New associates need to anticipate rejection, and purpose in their hearts to overcome it. They need to turn battles into a source of motivation that will propel them through these rejections. They should plan to send a copy of their checks to their rejecters in six months.
Preparing Prospects for Rejection
Remember that the rejection rocket can be launched at anytime in your career and can catch you unaware. However, disarming this weapon is fairly simple and needs to be taught literally during the close of the initial recruiting meeting. Warn them about the two primary causes of failure so that they can avoid them.
The first cause of failure happens when new associates listen to those who do not know what they are talking about.
Do NOT share the business with anyone until you are completely trained and knowledgeable about your company. Why? You will fail to present 100% of the information that listeners will need to make a good decision. Instead, they will ridicule you, and that will leave them in a place where their pride will be an unmovable obstacle to ever signing them up in the future.
So, until an associate signs up and gets trained professionally, they must NOT approach anyone (spouse, friends, family) to share the business. Why? Friends and family who know nothing of the business will automatically conclude it is a scam and will only seek to save them from disaster.
The second cause of failure happens when new associates do NOT listen to those who do know what they are talking about.
This is critical because success depends on duplicating what has already proven to work. Many new associates think that they have it all figured out and try to do it ‘better’ only to fail miserably. MLM is totally different from traditional business. So, if a prospect is not willing to learn and duplicate what their sponsors are showing them, do NOT sign them up.
Two Mindsets toward Rejection
Associates can strive to be well received by prospects and simply persevere. Persistence along with complete confidence cannot be defeated.
Or, associates can try to avoid rejection by using the three step process: say nothing, do nothing, achieve nothing. Fear of rejection can lead to ‘call reluctance’ which will lead to failure. Taking the initiative is the key to being successful in MLM.
Not Being Taken Seriously
First year associates should not try to close prospects alone. Teamwork with an experienced, successful upline associate is much more effective in bringing a prospect on board. Meeting someone who is actually making big money overcomes the perception that only the first people into the business ever make money.
It is also important to connect with positive people who are reinforcing your worth. Do not prejudge your prospects! “There’s a seed of greatness in everyone. Never qualify prospects for any reason.”
Not Taking Rejection Personally
New associates need to learn to not take ‘No’ personally. For example, if you were a waitress taking fresh coffee to tables for refills, would you perceive it as a personal rejection if a customer said, “No, thank you,” when you offered to refill their cup? I would hope not.
In the same way, when someone says, “No, thank you,” to your MLM business, they are not rejecting you, but rather the business. Simply, move onto the next prospect, and sooner or later, you will encounter someone who is interested.
Not Talking to Enough People
The law of balance: Increase the number of people you approach and decrease the impact of rejection. If your goal is to build your organization, 80% of your time and energy should be put into prospecting.
Each week, set you goal for the number of contacts that you will make. Keep putting prospects into your pipeline, and sooner than later, some will come out the other end as associates.
Prospecting small numbers of people magnifies rejection while prospecting large numbers of people diminishes the effects of rejection.
Conclusion
Phenomenal...thanks, as always, for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSD Richard Desmond